


Pokemon Team

by androgynousclintbarton



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Asexual Clint Barton, Clint uses pokemon to cope with stressful social situations, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-07-22 08:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7426903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/androgynousclintbarton/pseuds/androgynousclintbarton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint talks about pokemon with Nick and Phil</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pokemon Team

When Phil gave the Gameboy and Pokémon red game to Clint for Christmas, it was with the hopes that it would help him get through difficult social situations that would usually send him into a corner to hide, or storming out of the room in an attempt to get away from the overwhelming amount of people.

                His idea has worked better than he expected. Clint played the game in almost all social situations that he was dragged into, allowing him to ignore anything that didn’t involve him, and turn his attention to the conversation if someone called on him. The distraction proved useful on more than one occasion for getting Clint through a large party that he had to attend as Nick’s back up (not that anyone thought Nick needed back up, it was just something that came with becoming director of SHIELD). The bonus was that anyone who did think of attacking always thought Clint was distracted by his game, but they quickly learned how wrong they were when they would receive a bullet in the leg before they could even point their weapon at Nick or whoever else Clint happened to be providing protective detail for that day.

                What Phil didn’t expect, was how much Clint genuinely enjoyed his video game.

                “So, tell me again how you’re going to get the new one?” Nick held up six different versions of Pokémon and cocked an eye brow at Clint “does the theme of the game even change? Ever?”

                “Not really.” With a shrug of his shoulders, Clint reached over and plucked his old Pokémon Red game out of Nick’s hand and loaded it into his Gameboy. Phil didn’t know how he had kept his Gameboy in such good condition over the past 10 years, but he was impressed. The only other thing that Clint took that much care with was his Bow and his boyfriends. “Travel the world, catch Pokémon, choice your party, battle, save the world, become champion. Pretty simple really.”

                Glancing back at Phil, Nick sighed when the other agent shrugged his shoulders and continued to read the book that he had in his hands “and you’re sure there’s not another game that we can get you for your new system?” He asked, trying to get Clint to expand his options just a little bit.

                “I think the only other game he likes is Harvest moon,” Phil chipped into the conversation, waving a hand to the small box of games that Clint kept where his harvest moon games were still sitting “he seems to be a two games kind of guy.”

                “They’re simple and fun.” Clint shrugged his shoulders again, peering up at his boyfriends with a bright smile plastered across his face “they draw my attention away from everything else enough that I can ignore a large social gathering, but not so much that I miss anything important.”

                Thinking about it for a moment, Nick sighed in defeat “Alright, the new Pokémon for your birthday, got it.”

                “You’re the best,” Declared Clint as he lowered his Gameboy and leaned in close to kiss Nick’s cheek “Are you two planning on dragging me out to a big fancy restaurant?”

                “I was thinking our favorite diner,” placing a bookmark in-between the pages that he was on, Phil snapped his book shut carefully and leaned back in his chair so that he could give the other two men his full attention “you know the one that Nick likes to drag us to?”

                “I like that idea,” Clint beamed over at him “It’s quiet and the one waitress is really awesome.” Before Phil or Nick could respond, Clint had turned his attention back to his video game and started to distance himself.

                “You know…” Nick spoke up while he made his way over to Phil’s side and sat down on the arm of the chair, smiling when Phil leaned up against his side “You’ve been playing for years and you’ve never even shown us your favorite team. I know you always get the same Pokémon because I’ve heard you muttering about needing to find them when you seem to be having difficulties.”

                “Some of them I need to trade for,” Clint explained, reaching out and lifting up the Pokémon blue cartridge as an example “That’s why I always get the two versions. Then I can just trade with myself.”

                Phil chuckled at the sound of that. He wasn’t surprised that Clint would do such a thing, but the image of him sitting there with two Gameboys while he traded Pokémon was always an interesting one. It was interesting enough to think about a 10-year-old Clint in such a position, but he was 26 when Phil got him that game boy and the first Pokémon game, so it was even more amusing than usual.

                “Well,” Nick threw his hands open and smiled when Clint looked up at him “want to show us your team? From what I heard people pick their teams for special reasons, even if it’s because they’re just the strongest.”

                Nick could see that Clint was taking his time to debate it, so he put his hands down and gave him the space to do so. He was interesting in seeing Clint’s team and hearing why he picked them, but he knew Clint better than try to push him into doing something that he didn’t want. Last person who tried that ended up with a broken arm, and Nick ended up with a weeks worth of complaints from the WSC about how Clint was a ‘danger’ to other SHIELD agents. It had taken him more effort than he could have imagined just to convince them that Clint worked well with the team that he was on and that as long as that never changed, or he went on solo missions, he would be fine.

                A few minutes later, Clint sighed and pushed himself off of the chair that he had gotten himself comfortable in “It’s kind of a stupid team…” he admitted, making his way over to the other two men carefully and sitting on the arm chair opposite of Nick so that Phil was sitting between them. He would usually comment on the situation he had found himself in, but Clint seemed to require their undivided attention at that moment “you’re right though, I do always get the same team…”

                “Then it can’t be stupid,” Phil smiled up at him “If you like it so much that you always get them.”

                For a moment Clint didn’t respond, looking down at his Gameboy quietly instead “I think it’ll be interesting to see.” Nick broke the silence, beaming when the archer looked over at him “So, what do you have.”

                Turning the Gameboy towards the other two men, Clint kept his mouth shut as they squinted in an attempt to read the names. “These are all named after…us.” Phil declared, a warm feeling spreading in his chest at the fact that Clint had caught Pokémon and named them after the people he was closest to “but I don’t know what Pokémon they are.”

                “Ya, I’m kind of lost on this one too.” Admitted Nick, a chuckle surfacing from his throat when the other two looked at him in surprise “I know everything about my job, and nothing about Pokémon.”

                All of a sudden the two of them found themselves watching as a smile broke out on Clint’s face, and he immediately started to explain what each of the Pokémon where. From the Rattata at the bottom of the team, to the Alakazam at the top. Phil found himself having to retrace what exactly Clint had said about each Pokémon, losing track along the way between the confusing names and the excited fast paced way that Clint spoke whenever he was talking about something that he enjoyed.

                “Ok, so…” Nick reached out and pointed at the screen “Alakazam is Phil?”

                “Ya, because he’s a psychic Pokémon and he’s really strong, but his strength lies in non visible talents unlike a Pikachu that can physically shock you.” Phil ducked his head in an attempt to hid the blush that had taken over his face when Clint explained the origin of his naming process.

                “I like that,” His face began to heat up even more when Nick smiled down at him “And…” he glanced back over at the Gameboy Venasaur is Melinda?”

                “Quiet but very deadly” Clint smiled proudly “Plus he’s kind of unassuming. Can seem like a Pokémon that won’t do you much damage, but then totally wrecks you. Also very calm and kind when it’s not fighting.”

                A chuckle escaped Nick’s throat upon hearing Clint’s explanations “this is a good naming process. I like it. What about Natasha as Arbok?”

                “Well, I like second gene for Natasha more actually because it has an actual spider that kicks ass,” explained Clint, a small frown appearing on his face as he thought about it “but Arbok is a poison type Pokémon and Natasha loves Poisons. Plus, it’s very sneaky and can hide easily.”

                “And what about this one?” Phil reached forward and pointed to the Pokémon with Jaspers name on it “a…Pigeotte was it?”

                “I kind of ran out of ideas here,” the archer admitted “I really like Pideotte, so I wanted it on my team and I wanted one of the Pokémon to be Jasper, so…”

                “Not a bad reason to name a Pokémon at all,” Nick declared with a bright smile “What about the Articuno Named Nick?”

                “Articuno is a legendary Pokémon,” Clint smiled up at him proudly “One of a kind in each game and really tough to get if you give up the only master ball you get for Mewtwo. I named it after you because you’re definitely one of a kind, and under the Icey exterior others like to complain about you’re warm and cuddly.”

                Smiling, Nick leaned over the middle of the couch and pressed a tender kiss to Clint’s forehead “glad someone like’s my cuddles.”

                “That’s not fair,” Protested Phil “I adore your cuddles, I just adore other things that Clint doesn’t, like sex.” Clint made a face at the both of them when Phil mentioned Sex, huffing when the two of them broke out into laughter.

                “Remind me again why I hand around you two?” He asked, smirking when Phil brought a hand up and squeezed his bicep “I know why you keep me around, I was asking why I stick around.”

                “I like more than just the arm porn,” Protested Phil with a chuckle before he pointed back at the screen to where the last Pokémon was, hoping to change the subject “what about this one? Why did you name Rattata after yourself?”

                Suddenly the atmosphere of the room changed entirely when Clint looked down at his Gameboy sadly, not sure of how exactly to explain that last Pokémon to his boyfriends.

                “i…” Clint’s eyes were glued to the Gameboy as he tried to figure out what to say “When I first started I used to have a Spearow that I’d name after me, but then I was on the internet last year and looked up Pokémon. There was a ranking system for all of the Pokémon, and…Rattata was on the bottom.”

                Bringing a hand up to his mouth, Phil glanced over at Nick and frowned when he noticed that the other man was thinking the same thing as him. Clint had gotten better about his self hatred during his time in SHIELD, but it had never gone away. It didn’t show up in person a lot these days, since Clint had gotten close to all of the people that he interacted with every day and had fallen into snark and jokes in place of self doubt, but it still made its way back into his life once in a while in small ways. Apparently his game was one of those ways.

                “Well,” Nick interrupted his thought process, pulling his and Clint’s attention towards him “I think that ranking system is wrong. If you name it after yourself, it has to be an amazing Pokémon. Nothing but the best for the people on that list.”

                “ Plus a few extras,” Phil pitched in, watching as a smile started to spread across Clint’s face again “Anyways, I think it’s time for coffee. Who wants coffee?”

                “Me!” Clint and Nick responded in unison, looking over at each other for a moment before breaking into laughter. With a roll of his eyes, Phil pushed himself to his feet and made his way to the kitchen, leaving the other two to laugh together for as long as they wanted.


End file.
